CCW Podcast

Our battle with the forces of evil is relentless; therefore, the Lord commands us to take up the sword of the Spirit. Out of all of the armor, this specifically was wielded and made Satan head for the hills. That piece of weaponry - the sword - is the Word of God! The undeniable strength of the Word of God may seem like the most common church idea, yet it is possibly the most grossly undervalued a...

The helmet was a weapon of identity. Have you ever been watching a movie with a dramatic war scene and thought, "How can they distinguish who is on what side?" One way they could do that is by the particular type of helmet. As a believer our identity is hinged on salvation, no matter where a person comes from - their nationality, age, social status - if they are saved that means we are o...

This Sunday as we continue in our sermon series on the armor of God, we will be looking at the “Shield of Faith”! We will be looking at Joseph with the coat of many colors who had mighty faith! He was given a Word from God and even though his life flipped upside down he trusted God the whole time. His faith was a shield against all the temptations, frustrations, and accusations. Just like Joseph w...

What a celebratory day this Sunday will be, as we are so thankful to celebrate our CCW moms as well as share in a child dedication service. We will join with several of our CCW families in covenant with the Lord to band together in the raising of these precious children. One of the most rewarding and difficult assignments on the planet has to be that of "Mom." There are countless hours s...

In 2021, the global brand Jordan raked in 4.8 billion dollars in revenue. Do you remember the biggest commercial campaign featuring MJ and Spike Lee with the great tagline "It's gotta be the shoes"? The next piece of spiritual armor is found in Ephesians 6:15: "having feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Roman soldiers wore a boot called a Caligea, usual...

The second piece of armor for spiritual battle is the Breastplate of Righteousness. In today's world police and military often wear a bulletproof vest and, because of the vest, vital organs are protected and many lives are saved! In the spiritual realm, the breastplate of righteousness works two-fold: it guides our paths toward right actions and keeps Satan from gaining access to our hearts,...

It appears in the day we live in that there is much confusion as to what is the truth. Turn on your TV to the nightly news and it won't take long to see that there's one thing constant and that is disagreement about truth. Spurgeon once said, "a lie can make it halfway around the world while the truth is still getting its shoes on." There is a battle raging and on one side you...

When you think of eternity what kind of thoughts engulf your mind? As we continue our study on Armored, it is essential that we understand that the battle of spiritual warfare is rooted beyond this life and into eternity. Pew Research recently did a study and found that 72% of Americans believe in Heaven while only 58% believe in hell. Jesus actually taught more on the subject of hell than Heaven....

Have you ever felt like the world was throwing everything it can at you? Doubts, worries, temptations--all like fiery darts aimed to pierce your faith and peace. The Bible tells us we are not alone in this battle, and we're definitely not defenseless-Ephesians 6:10-20 shows us how we can steel ourselves with a time-tested, proven and worthy arsenal against the schemes of the enemy. We are goi...

Easter weekend is here!! This weekend is worthy of all the festivity and merriment as we celebrate the hinge from which human history clings. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the GOOD NEWS that JESUS SAVES! As Jesus is being crucified, he talks from the cross and the statements He made are pivotal,critical, and applicable to our faith 2000+ years later. Join us for worship th...

If you imagine Jesus' life on earth as a movie, his ministry in Jerusalem would be the climax of the film. In fact, whole movies have been dedicated to the subject! The Holy Week begins with a king's treatment on Palm Sunday, ends with a resurrection and empty tomb on Easter Sunday, with a gruesome crucifixion on Good Friday nestled in between. What can we learn from this holy and haunti...

Did you have any problems yesterday? Have you had any problems yet today? "Pastor, problems find me!" Do you ever feel like that? Everyone always has problems. In 2 Kings 5, we are introduced to Naaman who is a Who's Who, a mighty, honorable, courageous, strong, very important man, who is secretly living with terrible problems. We are also introduced to a few people whose names are...

This week the “Stand on the Mountain” series takes us to the home of a widow who is definitely not having a mountain top experience. She is at the end of her rope. Hanging on by a thread. Down to her last dollar. There seems to be no way out. But God had a plan for her at her most desperate moment. And He might just have one for you too.

In 2 Kings 2, Elijah is ready to graduate to his Heavenly home and senses it is near, but there is one holdup.. his protege Elisha. 3 times Elijah tries to get Elisha to stay behind, but undeterred he went on resolved in his heart to stay with his mentor through it all until Elijah passed his mantle of blessing.

A new King, Ahaziah. A time for a new direction, a fresh start, a clean slate, right? Wrong. This newly crowned royal comes with the same old baggage. Another generation from Solomon's compromise to Omri, Ahab, and now Ahaziah. What happens when the new King is injured? Will he reflect on the God of Israel or will he continue in the string of idolatry? Are you able to see how idolatry is prev...

What hill are you willing to die on? Are there principles that you will fight for against any odds? In 1 Kings 21 we find wicked Ahab with a presumptuous offer of trade or money for Naboth's Vineyard. The problem that ensues is that this was not a mere possession, but for Naboth's family it was inheritance and it was his legacy. Proverbs 22:1 tells us “a good name is to be chosen rather...

"That was the last straw." "I've had as much as I can handle." "I'm at the end of the rope." Have you ever felt what these phrases convey? In 1 Kings 19, Elijah, the mighty prophet of God gets to that point. He is on the run - running from Jezebel, running from God, and running on empty. I love this passage because if Elijah can get to that point it encourag...

Have you ever gone through a dry time physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Elijah, Ahab, and all of Israel had been 42 months without a droplet of rain, but why? Deuteronomy 11:16-17 explains it clearly, "If you turn away to other gods, The Lord's anger will be kindled and he will shut up the Heavens so that it will not rain." Talk about dry. We need and desire the hand of God f...

Elijah strikes before the challenge commences with a cutting interrogation and provocation in I Kings 18:21, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God follow Him, but if Baal, follow him." It sounds so simple, but problematically here we are two thousand years later and the nation, the country, the state, the homes falter between two opinions. What ensues from th...

When the brook dried up, God instructed Elijah to go back into Zarephath (Name Meaning: Smelting furnace), where God would provide for him in another unexpected way. Elijah goes from the drying brook to the refiner's furnace. God commands a poor widow who had an emaciating son and barely any food to spare to sustain Elijah. We are shown in this passage how in life threatening adversity Elijah...

In I Kings 17 we are introduced to Elijah, an unknown man headed to an unknown place sent by God to learn how to trust God in practice. Are you practicing trusting God on the drive, at the table, and in the quiet? Standing on the mountain and experiencing the glory of God begins by standing with God in the everyday.

2024 is here and this Sunday is VISION SUNDAY!! In a moment of great, purposeful clarity in 3 of the 4 gospels Jesus journeys with Peter, James, and John, to go and STAND on the MOUNTAIN. In this fascinating passage the disciples behold the brilliance of the glory of God as Jesus reveals His deity, and then out of nowhere, Elijah and Moses appear and speak to Jesus. In Moses's and Elijah&apos...

This week we celebrate the last Sunday of 2023! New Year’s Eve! Next week starts a brand new year is Vision Sunday. Pastor Rick is going to communicate the vision he has for CCW for 2024. Before we do that, we are going to take a few minutes on New Year’s Eve to talk about focus. If you’re out of focus, the vision won’t mean that much to you.

Merry Christmas CCW Family! It is vital to pause and reflect on the real basis we celebrate today. Let’s recognize that this is an extraordinary day foremost because of the birth of the Savior of the world! It is because of this day that one day we who believe will have the greatest gift: eternity with Jesus in Heaven! "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government w...

This week we will be looking at Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. You have probably heard the song “Mary Did You Know?” but no one ever asked Joseph. He had a hard choice: marry an already pregnant woman or leave her and the baby to fend for themselves. Joseph wanted to walk away but God had other plans, and so, in a Holy nap, God sent an angel to speak the truth to him. Joseph, being a just ma...